S21 Ultra camera - terrible quality

[JulianeM]

Edit: After researching about it, the problem is on S21 Ultra on Europe version only, I bought mine in the UK and unfortunately received a device with an awful camera. I contacted Samsung that promised to contact in 1 week time to give me a video support but this never happened. I had no choice but to return the phone and ask the refund. I expected more from Samsung.

A detailed side by side on US x EU versions video: https://youtu.be/rsLJLk3nx8k

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I really think my phone has a hardware problem is not possible that a phone ranked on top of pixel 5 and iPhone 12 max pro is not taking simple photos and videos indoor with good light, but that's what I'm experiencing. I tried to update the system and the camera configurations, but still the same thing:

• Photos: All modes are bad, normal photos are never focused, they don't have details even if I take a 108Mb on a static object like a bottle on top of my table 1 meter away, my old phone takes a incredible better photos. Also the portrait mode just blur the whole photo. The zoom takes photos with a veryyyyyy low resolution, looking more a abstract paint. Well I tried all modes, that's basically the problem present in all.
• Videos: The videos don't have any stabilization, we see jumps on movements, problems on frame rate giving the feeling you are watching a stream in a low connection, and the focus and blur just changes randomly.

Here is some examples, first my daughter playing, in a very slight movement but as you can see all the static points are also blurry, and second photo a button with 100x zoom with focus locked and my arm supported by the table:

Portrait photo100x photo with focus locked

[Gavlee2010]

yes no one has heard anything from Samsung yet on this issue these reviewers need to bring this problem up and start bringing some heat to this major issue because if it is a hardware problem then well I won't be happy.

[Jax29]

Oldcarp - big thanks! I spent aged trying to figure out why I couldn't focus!! lol

[JulianeM]

I saw so many people liking and thanking Oldcarp that I started wonder, if there's a plastic I'm not seeing, and then I saw this guy on youtube unboxing and noticed there's a special layer under the plastic to remove to protect the camera, I can't see on mine, but I think I feel something when I pass my nail on it, how can I remove it? I don't want to scratch the phone (I don't even know if it's there!)

Youtube unboxing

[Notamech]

I 100% agree. I am facing the same issues. The processing makes photos look like water colours. I am thinking of returning the phone as the camera was the main reason I bought it. Here are some pics from the 10x optical zoom. All of them are ultra blurry and noisy. I don't get what's the point of an optical zoom if i cant get clear photos from it.

[Phil A]

Eldrid, I've seem a youtube video where even though they were on 10x zoom , the camera didn't actually switch yet to the 10x zoom camera and instead it was digitally zooming in on the 3x camera and as they were moving back, you could see the quality change, not sure how far you were from the birds so that might be happening?

[JulianeM]

it's sad but they leave me no choice but return the phone. I believe we got the bad luck to get defected devices, I saw many photo samples taken by the S21 ultra and they are all very crisp, but I can't risky asking them to replace the phone and lose my cool off period 😕 I'm returning it and probably will keep safe with a pixel 5 or iPhone 12 pro
😔

[Notamech]

That does happen but only in low light from what i know. Also i directly click on the 10x zoom option which i reckon forces the camera to use the zoom lens. The issue isn't the hardware as at times i see a good pic in the viewfinder but by the time the phone processes it and saves it to the gallery its a mess.

[Notamech]

Me too I was on the fence. But spent a good part of today comparing images side by side with my note 9 camera and thats much better clarity wise will be sticking with that for now.

[Members_lNA4JVW]

I've today noticed that if your 3x and 10x zoom selections look fuzzy and digitised, you can pan to a brighter view of the same focal length and they suddenly switch to the correct optical zoom camera and look much better. 

You can then pan back to what you wanted to zoom/focus on and take a better shot.

It's a frustrating and disappointing issue on such an expensive flagship, but it gives me hope a software update will resolve it!

[Members_dsbROHT]

I’m having the same problem and I’m seriously thinking of sending my phone back.